Rotatable card exhibitor



July 24, 1956 s. w. GLACIUS ROTATABLE CARD EXHIBITOR Filed Aug. 5, 1954 INVENTOR 6202a: My; 46/06 ZY u AT ORNEY;

United States Patent ROTATABLE CARD EXHIBITOR George W. Glacius, Freeport, N. Y., assignor to Einson- Freeman Co., Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 5, H54, Serial No. 448,066

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-72) My present invention relates generally to display devices, and has particular reference to the type of mechanism in which a series of display cards are mounted on a rotatable carrier that brings them successively into view.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a card-exhibiting display device in which the individual display cards may be more readily inserted, removed, and replaced; in which the rubbing contact of one card against the other, during the operation of the mechanism, is reduced to a minimum; and in which the cards and the rotating supporting mechanism are of such construction and arrangement that manufacturing, installation and operating costs are unusually low.

The improved device consists essentially of a pair of opposed carrier wheels mounted for rotation upon a common horizontal axis, a means for continuously rotating the carrier, and a plurality of display cards pivotally supported between the carrier wheels and adapted to move through a cycle of positions as the wheels are rotated. During a complete revolution of the carrier, each display card moves from a vertical display position through a series of positions in which it is inoperative and is tangential to the axis of rotation and in rubbing contact with the adjacent trailing card, into an unstable vertical position from which it falls under the influence of gravity to its original vertical disposition. One of the specific objectives of the invention is to guard the lithographed or otherwise embellished display face of each card against soiling or other impairment during the periods in which it is in rubbing contact with the adjacent card.

One of the features of the invention lies in the provision of a reinforcement of special character along the pivoted edge of each card, the reinforcement being of such a character that a single element or strip of resilient bendable material may be employed to provide not only a bendable reinforcement of special character, but also the pivots by means of which the card is supported, and a pair of rounded projections positioned to minimize the rubbing contacts hereinbefore mentioned.

The device is intended primarily for advertising purposes, although it is obviously also suitable for educational and other uses. The improvements 1 have devised make it possible to produce the device at an extremely low cost and of relatively inexpensive material, and to operate it inexpensively (e. g., in store Windows, on counters, etc.) by means of a miniature motor operable by power derived from conventional electric outlets.

I achieve the foregoing general objectives and advantages, and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along direction 22 of Figure 1, with parts broken away for the sake of compactness of illustration;

Fee

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the improved reinforcing element shown in association with an illustrative display card.

In the construction herein chosen for illustration of the features of the invention, a pair of spaced carrier wheels 20 and 21 are mounted on a horizontal spindle 22, the spindle being journaled at its opposite ends in a pair of spaced upright supports 23. These supports may be of any suitable or desired character, composed for example of wood, metal, cardboard, or other appropriate material. I have illustratively shown the uprights reinforced at the bottom by a base structure 24 to maintain them in a fixed spaced relationship.

On the exterior of one of the upright supports 23 there is provided a miniature electric motor 25 whose shaft is suitably connected to the spindle 22 so that energization of the motor 25 (via lead wires 26 extending to any suit able source of current) will cause continuous relatively slow rotation of the opposed carrier wheels 20, 21. In the illustrated construction, the rotation is in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 2.

Each of the carrier wheels is provided with a plurality of pivot bearings arranged in a spaced series along a circle concentric with the axis of rotation. In the preferred embodiment of the invention these pivot bearings may take the form of simple circular openings 27. Each of the openings is in direct alignment with a complementary pivot bearing of similar character in the opposite carrier wheel. Each pair of aligned pivot bearings serves to support a display card, and for this purpose each display card is provided along an edge with a pair of lateral pivots.

When the device is operated, the display cards travel through the cycle of positions best shown in Figure 2. I have illustratively shown a device in which there are six display cards, but obviously the number of cards may be varied to suit different requirements.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be observed that the display card 28 is in a vertical disposition hanging freely from the carrier. The front of the device is at the left of Figure 2, and the display card 28 is thus in a position in which it may be viewed. If the device is intended for advertising, the card may have on its front face an illustration or pictorial embellishment such as that illustratively shown in Figure 1. At the same time, the rear face of display card 31 is also exposed to the front, and may be embellished or printed in any desired manner.

As the carrier wheels rotate, the card 28 moves rearwardly and upwardly, and during this stage of the cycle of movement the card in front of it establishes contact with it and angles it into a tangential position, such as that indicated at 29, 30 and 31. As each card moves slightly beyond the position shown by the card 31, it reaches an unstable vertical disposition from which it presently falls, rather suddenly, into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2. The cycle then repeats itself.

During the passage of each card through that portion of the cycle in which it is in a tangential position, there is a rubbing contact between the card and the adjacent trailing card. Thus, card 31 is in rubbing contact with the pivoted edge of card 30, the latter is in rubbing contact with the pivoted edge of the card 29, and so on. Since this contact is established along the front or display face of each card, it is important to minimize it. In accordance with this invention, the desired result is achieved in the simplified manner best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

In Figure 5 I have shown an illustrative display card 32. Along its pivoted edge 33 I secure a reinforcing strip 34. This strip can be as thin as may be desired, and its width is relatively insignificant in comparison to the display area of the card. The strip may be of metal, plastic, or any other material having adequate inherent stiffening quality, coupled with bendability and resilience. I prefer to employ a flat metallic strip, and to secure it to the edge portion of the card 32 by means of rivets or eyelets 35.

At its extremities, the strip 34 is formed with integral extensions rolled upon themselves to provide a U-shaped cross section'in each case. These projections are so contoured that the exposed rounded surface is offset from the edge 33 of the card 32. This provides rubbing areas 36 which establish contact with the card ahead and thus safeguard the mid-portion of it against any contact whatsoever with the card behind.

It will be observed that each of the U-shaped parts of the reinforcing element'extends laterally beyond the side edges of the card 32. This provides pivot elements 37 adapted to enter into the pivot bearings or openings 27 hereinbefore described.

The bendability and resilience of the strip 34 (and of the card 32 itself) makes it possible to bend the card along the edge 33 whenever it is desired to insert or remove it from engagement with a pair of aligned pivot openings 27. It is thus a relatively simple matter to remove display cards and to replace them with others.

Since the reinforcing strip are all the same in structural nature, the reference numerals 34, 35, 36 and 37 have been applied, in Figures 3 and 4, to the parts corresponding to those depicted in Figure 5.

It will be understood that many of the details herein described have been furnished merely by way of illustration. Accordingly, those skilled in the art may make various modifications of these details without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a display device, a pair of opposed carrier wheels mounted for rotation upon a common horizontal axis, a plurality of pivot bearings on each wheel arranged in a spaced series along a circle concentric with the axis of rotation, each bearing being aligned with a complementary bearing in the opposite carrier wheel, a plurality of dis being formed of an element of stiff fiat material rolled into a U-shaped cross-section, one arm of the U being extended to define an attachment area secured to the card, the attachment areas at the extremities of each card being connected by a reinforcing strip extending along and secured t0 the edge of said card, said strip and attachment areas being integral parts of a single piece of Flat bendable resilient material, said lJ-snaped elements being extended laterally beyond the side edges of the card to define said pivots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Koch Feb. 19, 1878 MacLachlan Mar. 15, 1932 

